 Glamour Photos
By Donna T. Part one of a two part series.
Subscribers can catch up with Part Two
How about a few fantastic glamour photos to add to your collection? Here is what
a glamour portrait is all about.
First, the lighting is almost always high key,
that is bright and somewhat specular in quality. Without spending the next four
years studying the subject of photographic lighting I will give you a crash course.
Basic photo
lighting can be reduced to two forms, specular and diffused. For a simple diffused
lighting effect a photographer will bounce the strobe light off a white ceiling,
that will spread the light out and soften the shadows.
Specular light comes from a small
bright and focused light source such as a flash tube. The diffused light is desirable
in people pictures, but lacks punch. Specular light will have stronger shadows and
may require and additional light to soften them. So what is a girl to do?
Go with
the flash on your camera and one additional bright light source that we will use
as a hair light. If you have a tungsten light that would be perfect, but remember
that it will produce a yellow cast which is in most cases just right for a hair light and background
light.
So how do we get the glamour in a glamour shot? It really only takes two things,
props carefully chosen and the right make up. In this article we will look at simple
yet effective props and in part two we will go into proper makeup for glamour photographs. Your background and props do not need to be expensive or elaborate, here are a
few ideas that I have used with great success.
Simple Props
Take a look at your local fabric store and check out the fake fur. I use it on the
floor with the camera pointing down and subject laying on it. A great shot every
time, and if you add a Champaign glass or a rose or two it gets even better. Just
let your imagination run wild and see what you can come up with.
Think about what you can do with two dozen balloons, or if you want to really dazzle
them try this locate a store that sells store fixtures, or a party store or a theatrical
supply house, and ask them for a metallic curtain. They are four feet wide and eight feet long for five to ten dollars each and you will not believe the colors.
Now that is a background with lots of punch. Another idea that I have used to good
effect is fog; it can make for a very dramatic photograph. Now, I have a very expensive
fog machine for studio work, but you can buy it in a spray can and it does a pretty
good job.
What I want to do is stimulate your mind and get you looking for props and backgrounds
that you can call your own creations for your photographs. Check out a few junk
shops for that perfect prop and keep your eyes open for possibilities.
Next time we will get your make up set up for a fabulous glamour photo shoot. Until
then smile every chance you get.
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